Lamp-pendant.



vNo A846,56ca.V A PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907. l H. w. HANWBLL.

l LAMP PENDANT.

APPIIGATION FILED SEPT. A11, 1906. A

a sHEBTs-SHBBT 1.

No. 846,563. Y PATENTED MAR. 12, `1907.

H. W. HANWBLL v LAMP PENDANT.'

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11. 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

LAMP-PENDANT.

Speeeation of Letters Patent.

atented March 12, 1907.

Application filed September 11,1906. Serial No. 334,170.

To a/Z/ w/tom, '1225 may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT WILLIAM HANWELL, a subject of the King of England, and a resident of Northampton, In the county of Northampton, England, have invented certain new andy useful Improvements in Lamp-Pendants, of which the following is a specification. gm.. This invention is for improvements in or IO relating to lamppendants adapted to be hung either from the ceiling or wall and has reference to that type of pendant in which a rotatable drum is employed to receive the flexible tubing for, say, a gas-fitting or the L 5 '[iexible cord for an electric-light fitting. In

pendants of this 'kind the drum is usually spring-controlled, so that when the lampfitting has been drawn down to a low position it may be returned by raising it, whereupon 2o the spring rotates the drum and takes up the slack of the cord or tubing. To obviate nice adjustment of the tension of the spring relatively to the weight of the tting, a friction device is often employed therewith.

tion with a pawl-and-ratchet mechanism, so that when the fitting is drawn down it operates against the friction member, but when it is released the friction member is inoperative and the return movement effected by the pawl overrunning the ratchet.

The present invention refers to a specific form of apparatus of the latter type in which the friction member is held stationary by a 5 5 pawl-and-ratchet mechanism while the fitting is drawn down, but rotates with the drum upon which the slack of the cord or tube of the fitting is wound when the fitting is raised. The pawl for this purpose is sta- 4o tionary, and the ratchet is carried by the friction member, so that the ratchet overruns the pawl during the return movement of the drum.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a central vertical section through a pend- 5o Fig. 4 is a modied detail of part of the apparatus shown in Fig. l, and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the pendant as adapted for hanging from a wall.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout 5 5 the drawings.

The apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 3,inclu The 2 5 friction device is sometimes used in conjuncsive, is foremployment with gas, andcomprises a supporting-yoke having arms A A', provided with means for connection at A2 to the gas-supply pipe. The yoke is thus secured in a pendent position and is provided at the free ends of the arms A A with bearings A3 A4, adapted to receive a spindle B. The end B of the spindle is conical, and the bearing A3 is correspondingly-shaped, so that ja gas-tight fitting is obtained between these two parts; but the end B2 of theV spindle enters a plain bearing and does not require close fitting therein. Fast on the spindle B and mounted between the arms A Al of the yoke is a drum D, conveniently of wood. The drum has a peripheral groove D and also a recess D2 in one face. Within the drum and communicating with the end Bl of the spindle, which is hollow, is an elbow'C/, to the free end of which a flexible conduit C is secured. The drum D is bored to receive the end of the coil or conduit C, which passes through to the elbow C, where it is made fast, and the groove D in the drum is sufficiently deep to receive the number of turns of the conduit corresponding to the amount of adjustment in length desired.

The spindle B is only hollow as far as the elbow C', and the end B is perforated7 as shown at B3. The perforations B3 register with-the hollow interior of the arm A, and a clear way is provided from the supply-pipe through the connection A2 to the interior of the arm A. A sufficient number'of orifices ever position the spindle B may be laced in supply-pipe to the interior of the conduit C, whence it passes to any suitable lamp-fitting E, secured to the end of the conduit.

down the conduit C will be unwound from the drum D, and the latter will be correlight spring F is provided. `in the recess D2 in the face of the drum and secured at one end to a pin F, fast in the drum, and at the other end to a boss F2, constituting part of a plate F3. The plate F3 closes in the recess D2 and carries a projection or lug F4, which lies in the path of the arm A. The tension of the spring F operates in the direction to maintain the lug F4 against the arm A, so that the plate is held against rotation and acts as a fulcrum or fixed point for the inner end of the spring.

or perforations B3 are provided, so that what- It will be seen that if the fitting is drawn spondingly rotated. To return the drum, a This is mounted gas will always have free passage from the IOC threaded to receive a screw G, and over the spindle and between the plate G and the arm A of the yoke a collar G2 is placed. A pin G3 passes through the collar and spindle B2, which latter is slotted, as shown at B4, so that the collar may be moved endwise upon the spindle. The end of the screw G bears upon 'the pin G3, and thus forces the collar G2 against the disk G, so that this latter is made to bear against the drum D. On the outer face of the disk G a series of pins H are provided, and a pawl H is pivoted to the arm A ofthe yoke and adapted to engage the pins H. It will thus be seen that when the fitting E is forcibly pulled down the drinn will be rotated against the action of the spring F, but will slide upon the face of the disk G, which is held against rotation in this direction by the pawl H. lf, however, the fitting is raised by hand, the drum D and disk G will be rotated under the action of the spring F and the slack of the conduit C coiled upon the drum. By advancing the screw G farther into or withdrawing it farther from the end B2 of the spindle B the pressure with which the disk G bears against the drum D may be adjusted to suit fittings of any weight, and it will be noted that it is this friction device which is relied upon to counteract the tendency of the iitting to run down and that the spring F, although operating in the same direction, is in no way relied upon as a counterbalance,

but only serves to return the drum when re# lieved of the weight of the iitting.

It will be seen that the head of the screw G may be allowed to project beyond any suitable casing in which the drum and its mechanism may be inclosed, so that it is always accessible for adjustment. The outside limit of any such casing is indicated by the chainline X on the right hand of Fig. l. It should also be noted that the frictiondisk and the screw by which it is adjusted are both mounted upon the spindle B, which carries the drum, whereby the spindle is made to take the whole of the end thrust between these parts.

The arm A may be solid or tubular, as desired, but does not communicate with the gaspassage, and preferably pivots freely in the connection A2. Its lower end is provided with a detachable cap A5, so that by removing this the arm may be swung into the position indicated in chain-line, Fig. '2, and the drum and spindle bodily removed from the yoke.

The face ol the channel D is grooved, as shown at D3, and at the point where the end of the conduit C passes into the drum for connection to the elbow C the grooves are cross-cut, as shown at D4. This arrangement insures the proper winding of the conduit upon the drum, as should one coil mount upon the other the cross-cut tends to deiiect it so that it slides oft' into its proper groove.

For electric-light fittings the conical end B of the spindle B is obviously unnecessary, so that the spindle may be carried in any convenient manner in the end of the yoke-arm, as shown in Fig. 4, in which the end B4 of the spindle is reduced, as shown at B5,to enter the end Ai of the yoke-arin. The end oi' the spindle is left open, and the `flexible wires (shown at J) may be led down the yoke-arm and through the spindle, whence they pass through the drum and out to the periphery of the same in a similar manner to that already described with reference to the elbow C and the conduit C. The flexible wires will of course in this case take the place of the conduit, and the iitting will be suspended therefrom, as will be readily understood.

To insure that the wire shall not be damaged, it is i'ound convenient to twist two wires round each other-say, three timesas shown at J, the twists being in the direction in which the druin'rotates when drawing the tting up, so that when the fitting is drawn to its lowest point, and supposing the drum rotates six times during this-operation, the wires will be iirst untwisted and then twisted up in the opposite direction three turns. It is found that this arrangement is quite practicable, whereas if the wires required twisting six times in either direction damage would probably occur.

Adjustable pendants are sometimes employed in combination with a wall-bracket, and Fig. 5 shows the form of pendant already applied in this manner to a bracket K. The drum D is supported by a pair of arms K thereon, although only one arm is shown in the drawings. The flexible tube C is led over the end of the bracket, which is troughshaped to receive it, and, it' desired, rollers may be mounted in this part of the bracket to reduce friction. rThese, however, are not shown in the drawing.

The friction-diskG may be perforated, as shown at G4, to render it more or less resilient; but these perforations are not essential and are only shown in Fig. 5.

What l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an adjustable lamp-pendant, the combination of a rotatable drum, means for supporting the drum, a lamp-fitting, a coil connected at one end to the fitting and at the other end to the winding-face of the drum, a spring control for the drum whereby after rotation in one direction it may be returned ICC IlO

in the other, a friction member for applying a constant retarding action against rotation of the drum in the direction for lowering the lamp-fitting, and means automatically operated by movement of the drum in the reverse sense whereby the friction member is rendered inoperative and the drum is thus freed from the retarding action throughout the whole range of its movement in the direction for raising the lamp-fitting, substantially as set forth.

2. In an adjustable lamp-pendant, the combination of a support, a spindle rotatably mounted therein, a drum fast on the spindle, a friction member mounted free on the spindle and in contact with the drum, a device for maintaining these two members in contact with each other, means for adjusting this device so that one of the members may be advanced relatively nearer to or allowed to retire from the other, a lamp-fitting, a coil connected at one end to the lamp-fitting and at the other end to the winding-face of the drum, a spring control for the drum whereby after rotation in one direction it may be returned in the other, means for holding the friction member against rotation with the drum in one direction and means whereby movement of the drum in the reverse sense automatically releases the frictionmember so that it rotates with the drum, substantially as set forth.

3. In an adjustable lamp-pendant, the combination of a support, a spindle rotatably mounted therein, a drum fast on the spindle, a friction member mounted free'on the spindle and in contact with the drum, a set-screw carried by the spindle and operatively connected with one of the members thereon so that they are kept in engagement with each other, means for adjusting the set-screw in the longitudinal direction of the spindle so that one of the members may beadvanced toward or allowed to Withdraw from the other, a lamp-fitting, a coil connected at one end to the lamp-fitting and at the other end to the Winding-face of the drum, a spring control for the drum whereby after rotation in one direction it may be returned in the other, means for holding the friction member against rotation with the drum in one direction, and means whereby movement of the drum in the reverse sense automatically releases the friction member so that it rotates with the drum, substantially as set forth.

' 4. In an adjustable lamp-pendant, the combination of, a support, a spindle rotatably mounted therein, a drum fast on the spindle, a lamp-fitting, a coil connected at one end to the lamp-fitting and at the other end to the winding-face of the drum, a spring control for the drum whereby, after rotation in one direction it may be returned in the other, a friction member mounted free on the and situated on that side of the friction member remote from the drum, a pin projecting from the sleeve into a longitudinal slot in the spindle, this end of the spindle being hollow, an adj listing-screw mounted longitudinally in the hollow end of the spindle and projecting beyondl the same while its inner end bears against the pin of the sleeve so that by advancing the screw the sleeve and consequently the brake member may be advanced into frictional engagement with the side of the drum, and means for automatically holding the friction member against rotation with the drum when the latter tends to rotate in the direction to unwind the coil and lower the lamp-fitting and to release it when the drum rotates in the opposite direction, substantially as set forth. i

5. In an adjustable lamp-pendant the combination of a supporting-yoke, a spindle rotatably mounted 1n the free ends of the yokearms, one end of the spindle being conical and fitting a correspondingly-shaped socket in the yoke-arm on that side, this arm and l the corresponding end of the spindle being both hollow, ports in the conical end of the spindle communicating with the interior of the yoke-arm, means for connecting the yokearm with a gas supply conduit, a drum fast on the spindle, a flexible conduit coiled on the drum and communicating at one end with the gasway in the spindle, a lamp-fitting i carried at the other end of the conduit and in communication therewith, a spring control for the drum whereby, after rotation in one direction, it may be returned in the other direction, a friction member, means for forcing this member into frictionalengagement with a friction-surface which moves in both directions with the drum, means for automatically holding the friction member against rotation with the drum when the latter tends to rotate in a direction to unwind the coil and lower the fitting, and to release it when the drum rotates in the opposite direction, a detachable bearing-cap for that end of the yokearm which engages the end of the spindle remote from the conical portion, and means for swiveling this yoke-arm relatively to lthe other so that when the cap is removed it can be swung clear of the spindle, substantially as set forth.

6. In an adjustable lamp-pendant the combination of, a supporting-yoke, a spindle rotatably mounted in the free ends of the yokearms, 'one end of the spindle being conical and fitting a correspondingly-shaped socket in the yoke-arm on that side, this yoke-arm and the corresponding end of the spindle being hollow, ports in the conical end of the spindle whereby the interior of the spindle is maintained in free communication with the interior of the yoke-arm, means for connecting the yoke with a gas-supply conduit, a

spindle, a sleeve free to slide on the spindle 1 drum fast on the spindle, a flexible conduit IOO coiled on the drum and communicating at one end with the gasway in the spindle, a lamp fitting at the other end of the conduit and in communication therewith, a spring control for the drum whereby, after rotation in one direction, it may be returned in the other, a friction member carried free on the spindle, means for automatically holding the friction member against rotation with the drum when the latter tends to rotate in the direction to unwind the coil and lower the fitting, and to release it when the drum rotates in the opposite direction, a sleeve free to slide on the spindle and disposed on that side of the friction member remote from the drurn, a pin projecting from the sleeve into a longitudinal slot in the spindle, this end of ythe spindle being hollow, an adjusting-screw 

